Automatic sampler.



S. E. COGSWELL.

AUTOMATIC SAMPLER.

APPLICATION YILEDIUNEI3,1916.

1,241,196; Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fia oavf F Qogsweil S. E. COGSWELL.

AUTOMATIC SAMPLER. APPLICAUON FILEDJUNE 13, l9l6.

1,241,196. Patnt'edse t. 25,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- gn uewboi SEWARD E. COGSVTELL, OF CENTRAL CITY, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC SAMPLEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEWARD E. OosswELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Central City, in the county of Merrick and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Samplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an automatic sampler, and has for one of its objects the provision of a sampling device which can be readily attached to any spout for taking a sample of any grain, crushed material, or granulated substance that is being conducted through the spout by gravity.

Another object is the provision of means for taking a plurality of samples of the grain, crushed material, or granulated substance as the same is conducted through the spout.

A further object is the provision of means for successively taking a sample of the material traveling through the spout at any desired periods of time during the conducting, crushing, or grinding operations.

A still further object is the provision of a sampling device consisting of few parts and simple in construction, etlicient in operation, and which can. be manufactured and sold upon the market at a nominal cost.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is more clearly understood from the following specification, the subject matter of the claims, and the views illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a spout showing the invention in applied operative position uponthe under side of the spout.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, through a portion of the spout and the sampler, showing the detail constructions thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig; 2 looking in the direction. of the arrow, showing one position of the locking and releasing bar employed to provide for the intermittent movement of the sampler.

Fig. at is a similar view, partly broken away, showing another position of the looking and releasing bar employed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4:, but showing the locking and releasing lever in neutral position.

Fig. 6 is a fragm ntary side view of the sliding tray employed showing the provision of the flange and the stop lugs thereon.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the tray, showing the manner of forming the stop lugs from the bottom thereof.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the means employed for actuating the locking and releasing bar at desired periods of time.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 denotes the usual spout employed, for conducting the grain, or crushed materials, or granulated or comminuted substances, which is preferably rectangular in cross section, 2

denotes the transverse slot or opening formed in the bottomwall of the spout, the upper side Wall of the slot or opening 2 being formed substantially at right angles to the inner surface of the bottom of the spout, while the lower side wall of the slot or opening 2 is formed obliquely in acute angular relation to the inner surface of the bottom so that the outlet end of the slot or opening 2 will be of much greater width than the inlet end of the slot or opening 2 to prevent the material from becoming clogged in .the slot or opening 2 thereby choking the same.

Secured upon the under side of thespout 1 is the casing or jacket 8 having a bottom and side walls, the upper portions of the side Walls being bent inwardly in their longitudinal direction, and thence bent outwardly in lapped relation to form the ribs 4, and thence upwardly to provide the attaching flanges 5 which are secured to the sides of the spout 1 adjacent its bottom by the nails or screws 6 which pass through apertures formed in the flanges 5 of the casing 3 and into the spout 1. The casing 3 is pro. vided at its upper end with the inlet door 7, hinged to the bottom of the casing 3 at 8 and retained in closed position upon the casing 3 in any suitable manner by the spring catch 9, and also provided at its lower end with the outlet door 10, hinged to the'bottom of the casing 3 at 11, and also secured in. closed position in any suitable manner as by the spring catch 12. The casing 3'is also provided with the central door 13 in its bottom, hinged at its lower edge to the bottom of the casing '3 as at 1 1, and secured in closed position within the bottom of the easing 3 by any suitable means as by the spring latch-15, and at one side of the casing 3 substantially centrally thereof is the housing 16 provided with the door 17, hinged to the housing 16 as at 18, and retained in closed position upon the housing 16 in any suitable means as by the spring latch 19.

Slid ably mounted within the casing 3 is thetray comprising the bottom 20 the sides 21 formed substantially in the shape of a parallelogram, and the end walls 22. The upper-edge of the sides 21 of the tray are bent outwardly at substantially right angles to the sides 21 to provide the flanges 23 for engaging the upper surfaces of the ribs 4 upon the inner side of the side walls of the casing 3 and adapted to slide thereon. The tray is suspended within the casing 3 with its bottom 20 in spaced relation to the bottom of the casing 3, and formed upon the bottom 20 of the tray at one side edge are the longitudinally alined stop lugs24f, and also upon the bottom 20 of the tray at the opposite edge thereof is formed the longitudinally alined stop lugs 25. The lugs 2 1 and the lugs 25 are cut and struck up from the bottom 20 of the tray and are of substantially triangular shape and formed in such a manner that the straight faces of the lugs are disposed at right angles to the bottom 20 and face downwardly. The lugs 2st at one side of the bottom 20 of the tray and the lugs 25 at the opposite side thereof are disposed in staggered relation to each other in the transverse direction of the bottom 20 of the tray. 1

The stop lugs 24 and 25 of the tray are alternately engaged and subsequently released by the reciprocating locking and releasing bar 26 which operates within the bottom portion of the casing 3 and travels in and projects through the elongated apertures 27 formed in the side walls of the easing 3 in proximity to the bottom'thereof and disposed in right angular relation thereto. The locking and releasing bar 26 is of greater widththan thickness and has formed in its upper edge adjacent its outer end the slot or gain 28, and also the slot or gain 29 adjacent its inner end, the slots or gains 28 and 29 are spaced apart at a less distance than the transverse distances between thestop lugs 24 and the stop lugs 25 for locking and releasing the respective stop lugs in accordance withthe positions ofthe l'ocki'ng and releasing bar 26. and the slots or gains 2S and 29 thereof. The. locking and releasing bar 26 is of sufficient length to remain sli'd'ably within the apertures 27 formed in the side walls of the casing 3 and for reciprocating the bar 26 there is pivotally connected to the innerend of the bar 26 as at 30 one end of the connecting rod '31, having its opposite end pivotally connected to the wrist pin of the driving wheel or disk 33 operatively"mounted at the outer side of one of the side walls ofthe housing 16 and having its shaft 3 1 projecting through and revolubl'y mounted in the wall of the housing 16 and also re'volubly' mounted in the ournal bracket 35, or other suitable means, the shaft 34 being provided upon its inner end with the removably secured worm wheel 36 which is driven by the worm 37 removably secured upon'the end of the worm shaft 38 which worm shaft is adapted to be driven by any suitable time i mechanism to be hereinafter stated.

The sliding tray within the casing 3 is provided with the plurality of removable sample receptacles or boxes 39. The receptacles or boxes 39 are rectangular and have a greater width than thickness; and preferably a greater length than width, and are provided with the open upper ends 10 which are beveled in one direction at substantially forty-five degrees or in a manner to snugly engage the under surface of the bottom of the spout 1. The interior transverse dimensions of the receptacles or boxes 39'are approximatelyv the same as the dimensions of the discharged endof the opening 2 formed in the bottom of the spout 1, and

for positioning a receptacle or box imme-' bottom 20 of the tray are so arranged that there is a lug in substantially vertical alinement beneath each of the receptacles 39, and the locking and releasing bar 26 operates through the'bottom portion of the casing 3 at a point substantially in vertical alinement with the opening 2, in the bottom of the spout 1 whereby when'one of either the lugs 2 1 or 25 engages the upper edge of the bar 26 there is positioned beneath and in registration with the opening 2 of the spoutl' the open beveled end -10 of one of the sample receptacles or boxes 39' which now remain stationary for receiving a proportion of the material traveling through the spout '1 through the opening 2 until the receptacle or box is filled, when the material traveling through the spout 1 ceases to flow into the receptacle 39 until the next succeeding er'nptyreceptacle 39 is positioned beneath the opening 2 of the spout 1 by the movement of the bar 26 for releasing the lug engaging the bar through one of the slots or gains therein upon the movement of the bar 26 and locking the next succeeding oppositely staggered lug upon the tray for stopping the. movement thereof.

- The operation of the device is briefly described as follows The tray, containing a plurality of the sample receptacles or boxes 39 in juxtaposi tion to eachother as shown in Fig. 2, is inserted through the upper door 7 into the cas ing 3 with the flanges 23 of the tray resting upon the'ribs 4 of the casing 3 and is then slid downwardly until the lowermost stop lug 25 upon the bottom of the tray contacts with the bar 26 which is in the position shown in Fig. 3 thereby positioning the first or foremost of the receptacles 39 immediately beneath the opening 2 of the spout 1, whereby a portion of the material traveling through the spout 1 in the direction of the arrow will drop through the opening 2 in the bottom of the spout 1 and fill the first receptacle. This receptacle after being filled will remain stationary fora period of time, whereupon the driving wheel or disk 33 which is traveling slowly in the direction of the arrow will gradually move the locking and releasing bar 26 to the neutral position shown in Fig. 5 until the bar 26 reaches the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby'the looking lug 25 will be released and pass through the slot or gain 29 of the bar 26' thus allowing the tray to move downwardly by gravity until the foremost locking lug 24: at the opposite side of the bottom 20 of the tray contacts with the bar 26 checking the downward movement of the tray and positioning the next succeeding or second receptacle 39 beneath the opening 2 of the spout 1, whereby the material that has previously remained in the opening 2 after the filling of the first receptacle will now drop in the second receptacle, due to the divergent character of the side walls of the opening 2, and the filling operation of the second receptacle resumed. The tray again remains stationary while the bar 26 returns to the neutral position shown in Fig. 5, the wrist pin 32 of the wheel or disk 33 being in this instance in its lowermost position and opposite to that shown in Fig. 5, and until the bar 26 resumes the position shown in Fig. 3 for releasing the foremost lug 24 which now passes through the slot or gain 28 of the bar 26 allowing the tray to again slide downwardly until the second lug 25 contacts with the bar 26 for positioning the third empty receptacle beneath the opening 2 of the spout 1 to be also filled and as indicated in Fig. 2. These successive steps in the operation continue until all of the receptacles carried by the tray have been filled, whereupon the tray with its filledreceptacles is removed through the lower door 10, after the last locking lug has been released by the bar 26, and the contents of thereceptacles or sample boxes 39 may be inspected for determining the variousgrades of the material which has passed through the spout 1 within a specified period of time.

The casing'3, the tray, and the sample receptacles or boxes 39, as well as the housing 16 are preferably formed of sheet metal, the casing 3 being secured upon the under side Of the spout 1 so that the opening 2 of the spout 1 will be positioned substantially midway between the ends of the casing 3 which is of sufiicient length to be slightly more than twice the'length of the tray, which tray is formed of a length for containing any desired number of sample boxes of any suitable and desired size, the stop lugs upon the tray .being equal in number to the number of sample boxes employed, and the operation of the locking and releasing bar 26 may be so timed that asample may be taken at any intervals of time ranging from five minutes to one hour or longer during the conveying.

crushing or grinding operation of the mill or the like for discharging the material through the spout 1.

It is to be'understood, of course, that the length of the casing 3 and the tray and the number of sample boxes'used will vary in accordance with the number of samples taken-within a given period, however, the positions of the locking and releasing bar- 26 are shown in the drawings for taking a sample every thirty minutes which is the usual preferred time, the driving wheel or disk 33 completing a revolution once every hour and which is preferably driven through the medium of the worm gear 36 and the worm 37, the shaft 38 of the worm 37 may be suitably connected with any time mechanism such as a clock positioned within the housing 16 or may be suitably connected by a belt or cable with a pulley or shaft making a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, there being, of course, suitable gear connections interposed between the time mechanisms and the shafts 38 to provide against excess speed or too slow speed, and to change the time or intervals for taking the samples the worm gear connection between the shaft 38 and the shaft 34 may be efficiently adjusted by the substitution of other worm gear connections of difierent sizes and differently timed for the worm gear 36 and the worm 37 v By the provision of the door 13 in the bottom of the casing 3 access may be readily had to the interior of the casing 3 for adjusting the position of the tray therein when desired which can be readily accomplished by bending the locking lugs 24 and 25 for mits access into the interior of the housing l 16 for adj ustingthe timing mechanism or for any. other desiredzpnrpose, and-while I have shown the respective doors secured in closed position through the medium of spring catches or spring latches, any suitablelocking devices may be employed for preventing access to theinterior of the device by unauthorized persons to thereby .p'reventvtampering: with the device 1 by such persons.

Having described myi invention; What .1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is: I

1. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination with an inclined spout for conveying a material 'therethrough, and provided with ia-n'oriificegin its under side, of a casing secured uponsaid spout. and extendingiior a distanceat either side-10f said orifice, a 'tray for traveling Within saidcasing,

V a plurality of receptacles within saidtray for; receiving a sample-poi said material through said or fice when posltloned there beneath, :and means upon said tray .co6p-' erat-ing :with means within said casing to provideior the intermittent travel of said tray at predetermined periods of time.

7 2. In a device of the character described, the combination-with an inclinedspout for conveying. a material therethrough: and provided with an orifice in its under side and having divergent walls of an elongated casing secured-=to the: underside of said spout beneath said orifice, a. tray slidably mounted within said; casing and adapted to travel therein from end to end, a plurality of receptacles carried by said tray adapted to be positioned successively beneath saidv orifice for obtaining various samples from, I

ing and releasing said tray during its travel within saidcasing at predetermined periods of time. Y

v 3. Ina device of thecharacter described, the combination with a spout for conveying a material: therethrough and provided with a transverse orifice in its under side having downwardly diverging side walls, of 'an elongated casingasecured' to the under side of said spout beneath said orifice, ribs for-medat'the, inner sides of the side Walls of said, casing, a tray provided with flanges upon its upper edges for slidably engaging the-ribs ofi saidcasing and adapted to gravitate therethrough,a plurality of receptacles positioned in succession within said tray in juxtapositionto each otherwfor receiving a sample ofthe material in said spout through said orifice when positioned therebeneath, alternately staggered lugs upon the bottom of said tray, a bar operating withinsaid casing provided with means for alternately engaging", and: releasing said alternate lugs of said tray forcontrolling themovements of said :tray, and meansrfor operating said bar at a predeterminedrate of speed for positioning a receptacle beneath said orifice at predetermined intervals.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name .to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

SfiWARD GOGSWELL.

Witnesses:

G. H. GRAY, J. H. CARNs.

copieaorthispatent maybe obtained for five cents each,.by, addressing the (Commissioner of Patents,

Wash1ngton,.D..G.' v o 

